The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered healthcare systems across the world fragile as they focus on trying to help its victims.
Many medical procedures, otherwise commonplace, have been relegated to the background. One of them is elective surgery.
Austin Well, aged 42, brain cancer survivor with compromised immunity is one among the many victims of this situation. Wells stated that he needs elective surgery for kidney stones, which was a side effect of the stent in his left kidney that the doctors had put in.
Cosmetic surgery, cancer-related surgical procedures, and hernia operations also create similar situations, with varying degrees of seriousness.
The AHA published a roadmap to resume these processes by April 17. Concerns arise as hospital revenues fall by 13 percent from March.